The Art of Authenticity: Why Professional Branding Photography Beats AI Headshots Any Day
In today's visually-driven digital landscape, a striking headshot is your calling card. Whether it's for your LinkedIn profile, your website's "About Me" section, or your social media presence, your headshot speaks volumes about who you are and what you represent.
It's your chance to make a memorable first impression in a sea of online faces. But in the quest for the perfect headshot, some are turning to AI solutions, believing them to be a quick fix for professional imagery. However, here's why investing in a professional branding photographer is a far wiser choice.
Illuminating Leadership: A Branding Photography Session with Michelle Newman, Executive Coach in Scottsdale, AZ
Michelle Newman radiates a warmth and authenticity that instantly draws people towards her. Our paths converged when I had the privilege of being a guest on her podcast and attending her retreat, and from those serendipitous encounters, a creative collaboration was born.
10 Ways to Use your Branded Portraits to Grow Your Business Today
In today's visually-driven world, brand photography has become crucial for businesses looking to stand out and connect with their audience. High-quality, authentic imagery can enhance your brand's identity and significantly impact your business growth.
Here are ten ways brand photography can help propel your business forward:
Embracing Strength: A 60-Year-Old's Inspirational Gym Portraits
In a world often fixated on youth and perfection, there's something genuinely inspiring about embracing our strength at any age.
Today, I want to share the remarkable story of a courageous woman who defied stereotypes and stepped into the gym for a transformative portrait session. Meet Brooke, a vibrant 60-year-old whose journey through gym portraits captured her physical strength and symbolized a more profound journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
As a traveling brand photographer, I've witnessed countless individuals step before my lens, each with their own story. But there was something uniquely special about Brooke’s session.
Nervous yet determined, she arrived at the gym, ready to embark on a new adventure. Like many, Brooke hesitated to prioritize herself in the past, but today was different – today was about celebrating her journey, resilience, and confidence.
Thrive with Rachel - Buti Yoga Instructor
Rachel is an RYT 200 yoga instructor and holds additional yoga certifications across Buti Yoga, Primal Flow, Deep, Sculpt, Buti Bands, and HotCore. She believes knowledge is power and continually challenges herself to advance her career and teachings through continued education courses she completes annually. Her commitment to herself and the collective is,“I will never stop learning and growing.”
I met Rachel through a mutual acquaintance who helped me find models for the Creative Weekend play I had with Laura Dillon Rogers Photography. We were looking for women who could move and felt comfortable in front of the camera.
Aerial Artists - Holly Leonard and Sydney Wilson in the Sonoran Desert
During our time together, Holly coached Sydney on a move with one of the flags and told Sydney she just had to believe she could do it. This struck me as the best advice for life. If we ‘believe’ we can do it, then we can. Having the courage to ‘believe’ is the first step to fully believing. It’s crazy how the shift in energy makes all the difference.
Desert Goddess Branding Session in Phoenix, Arizona
We created a Mood Board with inspirational images using FreeForm (a free Apple app). We photographed in Parago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first night of the full moon, and in the distance, we could hear a new moon ceremony with the steady beat of a drum.
Lia’s branding words convey what she wanted to accomplish with her branded portraits.
Capturing Movement
Mysterious
Feminine
Powerful
Luminous
12 Lessons from 12 Years of Being Entrepreneur
12 Years Being an Entrepreneur is a bumpy road, and it is also an incredibly rewarding one.
As an entrepreneur, you have the freedom to follow your passions and create something truly unique.
However, it’s not always easy, and there are many lessons to be learned along the way. As someone who has been an entrepreneur for over 12 years, I’ve learned a lot.
Here are 12 lessons that I think every entrepreneur can keep in mind.
Brand Photography: What is is, Why It's Important, and How to Get It
As a business owner, you’ve probably heard of branding and the importance of a visual identity representing your business. You’ve seen your successful entrepreneurs have multiple branded portraits. It’s time to invest in you and your business. You’re the face of your business.
Branding is more than just having a logo, colors, and fonts. It’s about creating a consistent message that resonates with your audience and sets you apart from your competitors. And that’s where brand photography comes in.
Why Authors Need Great Branded Headshots
As an author, you know how important it is to have a professional headshot. Not only does it help you look your best when meeting potential readers and fans, but it also helps promote your book and brand.
A professional portrait can make all the difference in presenting yourself as a serious author who is worth reading.
In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of author headshots, what makes a good author headshot, what to wear for an author headshot, and how to pose for an author headshot.
How to Strategically Choose the Best Images From Your Branded Photo Session
One of the best parts about having a professional branding photoshoot is the fact that you end up with lots of great photos of yourself. My clients may walk into their shoots with me nervous about how their photos will come out, but because of my proven process, they are always excited about the results. I do a pre-branding session so we can customize their session and get key images they know they need. We also figure out if there are any props the client wants to include to help tell their brand story.
5 Locations to Have Your Branding Session in Sarasota
Here are five locations that would be perfect for YOUR next branding photo shoot. I’ve broken them down into interior and exterior options so we can choose the perfect “space” for your unique branding needs.
5 Compelling Reasons to Get your Brand Portraits Taken
Branding for your business (no matter how big or small it is) has never been more important than it is today. That’s because the online world, where we do most of our promotions, is so visual. Just “any old photo” won’t work anymore. Having great, branded photos is the key to your success.
Here are five compelling reasons why you must have several great, up-to-date brand photos at your disposal for promoting yourself or your business online:
My Core Mission ~ To Show You Your Unique Beauty
My greatest honor as a photographer is when clients trust me enough to allow themselves to be vulnerable and step in front of my camera. It’s something I never take lightly. I know that my job is to ensure that my clients feel safe and nurtured in that space so that they feel beautiful and confident. Sometimes that’s a huge leap of faith. Often it means working with them to help them overcome a lifetime of limiting beliefs (just like I did).
How Women Can Develop and Promote their Personal Brand
As an entrepreneur, you probably hear how important your “personal brand” is all the time. Having a personal brand that allows you to stand out has many benefits, from helping you connect with your ideal clients and people who need what you’re offering to help to build your reputation in your industry. A great personal branding photograph can communicate who you are, and what you stand for, and help you truly stand out from your competitors.
The 3 Stages of Entrepreneurship and Which Photos You Need for Each
There’s a lot to think about as an entrepreneur. People often push “branded photos for my business” to the bottom of their “to-do” list simply because they’re too busy to think about them. While I realize that business photos may not be something you’ve been told you need as an entrepreneur and as a branding photographer, I know they are absolutely essential.
Is $1000 for a Headshot Over the Top?
A few months ago, a Wall Street Journal article generated quite a bit of buzz in my LinkedIn feed, and I truly enjoyed reading not only the article, but all the different opinions about it in the comments.
The article was titled, “The Perfect Professional Headshot is Worth $1,000, and Maybe Even a Job.” Many professionals in my LinkedIn network shared it and put in their two cents around it. Here’s an excerpt from the article that basically sums up what it was saying:
Don't Settle For Anything Less Than a Brand Photographer
Lots of photographers say they can do headshots. It’s the most basic type of photo any photographer takes. So it should be easy to choose any photographer to help you create a great headshot, right?
My RV Life: What I’ve Learned
I thought I’d share what I’ve learned since making this choice about two years ago for this final installment. Just like with anything, there’s good and bad, and it’s all there to teach me.
My RV Life: The Real, Everyday of RV Life
I enjoy sharing the ins and outs (and ups and downs) with you this month in this blog series on my RV life. During the first few posts, I talked about why we chose this life and the logistics of making it work for us. Today, let’s look at some of the realities of living full-time in an RV (the good and the not-so-good).